Braided strapping



March 1o, 1959 R. w. HALE 2,876,671

BRAIDED STRAPPING Filed Nov. V'7, 1956 Unid States aient .BRAIDED STRAPPlNG Roger W. Hale, Riverside,jR. I.

ApplicationNovember 7, 1956, Serial No. 620,836

6 Claims. (Cl. 87-2) This invention relates to 'braided materials vand more particularly to an elastic strapping manufactured vby braiding processes.

It is known that at braidedmaterial, especially when constructed of flat strips of leather or leatherlike materials with their one superior side always forming the same side of the fabric, are particularly attractive when incorporated in articles of wearing apparel, such as belts, shoe straps and the like. Heretofo r e, however, such 'hat braided material has been limited Ain its possible use, since it has not included significant lelastic characteristics and therefore has necessarily been restricted to use in `conjunction with appropriate buckles and the like. 'Further-more, the elastic narrow fabricsas knownto the prior .art have generally been considered unattractive due to their lack of texture and therefore unacceptable in certain applications associated with wearing apparel and particularly in conjunction with belts, shoe straps and the like, whereas, particularly in such applications, flat braided narrow materials provide an approviate `textured symmetry that is aesthetically acceptable.

In addition, there have been diiiiculties with elastic fabrics functioning as belts, straps for womens shoes, and the like, particularly in that such materials tend to grip or bite into the liesh, causing irritation and discomfort and in addition lack ventilation through the fabric. Hence, such belts or strapshave heretofore been provided with adjustable means so that the use of elastic fabrics could be avoided.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to `provide a braided leather or leatherlike strapping made .up primarily of flat strips and having elastic characteristics Lwherein the attractive texture of the braided yflat strips is enhanced, and whereby a firm braided strapping .is provided in which apertures occur to improve ventilation and in which the superior faces `of the braided strips uniformly form one surface of the fabric.

.Still other objects and features will appear from the following description of a preferred embodiment of the invention. In order that the principles of the invention may be readily understood, I have in the accompanying drawing illustrated .a preferred embodiment of the fabric representative of my invention. In said drawmg:

Fig. l ,is aperspective yiewtoffa vstripof braiding material showing features of its construction;

Fig. 2 is a front view of a portion of a type of braided strapping which is 'representative ofthe invention;

Fig. 3 `is ya -rear Aview of a -portion of the vvbraided strapping of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the braided strapping of Fig. 2 taken along the line 4 4; and

Fig. 5 is a view of the braided strapping in tensioned condition.

Without limiting in any way the invention to the product herein described, and merely for convenience of description, I will refer in the ensuing description to a strapping formed of live strands braided together to proice duce .a material of definite width but of indeterminate length and having interposed therein two longitudinally extending elasticstrands in such a manner that the strands remain substantially straight andpreferably u nder tension.

vFor clarity in the description, the word strip will be used to denote flat, exible, non-elastic material, such as leather and the like, of greater width than thickness, used .strips than strands. Preferably, the number of strips is an odd integer equal to o r greater than five, and the vnumber of strands is an even integer, with the-dilference between `str ips vand strands an odd integer greater than two.

A .wide variety 4of material for the at strips may .be utilized inthe practice of the invention within its scope and spirit. Included among these are leathers, vinyls and other plastics, textile fabrics such as faille, satin, etc. and plastic coated fabrics and papers. ln general, the strips should have the characteristics of being flexible but non-elastic. Particular advantage is derived from the fact that a strip such as that shown in Fig. l may be utilized. The material there illustrated is astraightsided fiat strip 10 of leather having a flesh side and ahairside. 'The leather strip, before being incorporated in a braid, is folded along a lengthwise line upon vitself by inturning `outer portions 12, 1.4 ,so that -the inturned portions meet or substantiallymeet in a ybutt seam 16. The inturned portions are fixed in position along the central portion by a layer of adhesive or other appropriatemeans. The strip thus formedis substantially at having smoothly rounded edges and is relatively thin, having a width .t0 thickness ratio greater than 3:1. Obviously, the strip 10 thus folded presents -two faces 18, 20 alongone. of which extends the butt seam. -lt is imperative to control such strips in the braiding operation as to layand keep faces having the seams generally forming one surface of ,the

strapping so that nowhere on the other surface do .any v of the seams show along the length of the completed strapping.

The shape and method of forming such astrapping may be `understood with reference to Figs. 2 and l3. Five .individual strips 22, 24, 2 6, 28 and30, each similar to the strip shown in Fig. l, are interbraided, and strandsZJ 34 of elastic material are interposed in the braid, in a manner described hereinafter ingreater detail, so vthat the strands are substantially straight. The strips pass from ,selvage to selvage, back and forth across the strapping in zig-zag fashion and progress `along the length of the strapping, the path of eachstrip being` substantially parallel to but spaced along `the strapping fromevery other strip, and each strip alternately-crosses .over .and under the other strips. For example, strip 22 passes from the lower selvage 36 to the upper selvage 38 and back again, crossing vover strip 24, v under strip 26, over strip 28, and under strip 30, making a turn (described in greater detail hereinafter) 4.at the upper selvage and crossing over strip 24, under strip 26, over strip v2S, l and under ,strip .30 to return to ,the lower selvage.

T he strands 32, 34 are preferably substantially 1fiatand may be of any suitable elastic material with V emphasis on the selection of'a material having color and texture suitable to be associated with the leather strips 10. They are preferably interposed with the leather strips concurrently with the braiding operation. The interposition of strand 32, for example, is such that it passes between strips 22 and 28 (at the intersection 40 thereof), between strips 24 and 30, between strips 26 and 22, between strips 28 and 24, between strips 30 and 26 at the intercases, by the edges of the strips alone.

may be seen from Figs. 2 and 3.

.understood with reference to Fig.' 4. Strand 32 is separated from strand 34 by the cross-over 44 formed by strips 22, 26 and from the upper selvage 38 by the crossover 46 formed by strips 22, 24. Similarly/,strand 34 V4is positioned in relation to the lower selvage 36 by crossover 48. The cross-over 44 is positioned substantially 'at the longitudinal center line of thestrapping. Aesthetically, it is desirable to keep the longitudinal strands out of 'the' selvage.l In addition, the thickness of the fabric is maintained at a minimum by not inserting a strand ,into the area of the selvage, and further, there is less stress placed on the turn of the strips at the selvage.

-A plurality of apertures 50 in the strapping (Fig. 3) are formed by the edges of strands and strips or, in some A ventilated strapping is thus provided.

A principal feature of the invention lies in the fact that a leatherlike or fabric strip having a superior face is interbraided so that face always forms the same surface, as To achieve this, it is necessary to turn the strip atthe selvage, rather than twist it. By turning, the strips longitudinal direction is changed while the strip remains in substantially the same plane, thus avoiding undesirable reversal of superior and inferior faces. In turning, however, the outer edge 52 `(Figi 3) of the strip is placed in tension and the inside edge 54 is piaced in compression which, under some conditions, provides an especially attractive effect.

The strapping is shown in stretched position in Fig. 5. As the strapping is elongated, the strands 32, 34 stretch longitudinally, whereas the strips 22, 24, 26, 28 and 30 tend to straighten out, decreasing the width of the strapping and moving relative to one another at intersections thereof in a generally rotational rather than translational manner. For example, strips 26 and 30 generally rotate relative to one another at the intersection 42. The tension on outer edge 52 of the strips is reduced when the strapping is in stretched condition. Thus an elongation of the strapping results without stressing the individual strips.

Having thus described a preferred embodiment of the invention, it is to be understood that although specific terms and configurations are employed they are generally used in a generic and descriptive sense and not for the purpose of limitation, the scope of the invention being set forth in the following claims. Other congurations and constructions, obvious to one skilled in the art, are incorporated within the scope and spirit of the invention.

I claim:

1. A substantially fiat elastic braided strapping with two outer surfaces and two selvages comprising at least two parallel elastic strands extending longitudinally of said strapping adjacent one another on either side of the longitudinal center line thereof and at least ve thin flat one strip and under the next back and forth across said strapping providing selvages of said strips beyond said strands and simultaneouslyl progressing longitudinally of said strapping, said strips crossing each other at the selvages with faces in contact with one another, crossing each other at either side of said longitudinal center line with one of said strands interposed between said strips at such intersection, and passing between said adjacent elastic strands at the centerline.

2. A substantially at elastic braided strapping with two outer surfaces and two selvages comprising at least two parallel elastic strands extending longitudinally of said strapping adjacent one another on either side of the longitudinal center line thereof and at least five thin iiat substantially non-elastic strips, each strip having a superior face and an interior face interbraided with each other to each present its same face forming the same surface of said strapping, each said strip passing over one strip and under the next back and forth across said strapping providing selvages of said strips beyond said strands and simultaneously progressing longitudinally of said strapping, said stripscrossing each other at the selvages with opposite faces in contact with one another, crossing each other at either side of said longitudinal center line with one of said strands interposed between said strips at such intersection, and passing between said adjacent elastic strands at the center line. I

3. A strapping as claimed in claim 2 wherein the dif ference in number between said strands and said strips is an odd number, at least as high as three.

4. A substantially at Velastic braided strapping with twoouter surfaces and two selvages comprising an even number, at least as high as two, of tensioned parallel at elastic strands extending,longitudinally of said strapping adjacent one another on either sideof the longitudinal center line thereof and an odd number, at least as high as five, of thin flat substantially non-elastic strips interbraided with said strandsA and with each other to each prevent its same face generally at the same side of said strapping, each said strip passing over one strip and under the next back and forth across said strapping providing selvages of said strips beyond said strands and simultaneously progressing longitudinally of said fabric,

' said strips crossing each other at the selvages in contact substatnially non-elastic strips interbraided with each other to each present its same face forming the same surface of said strapping, each said strip passing over with one another, crossing each other at either side of said longitudinal center line with one of said strands interposed therebetween, and passing between said adjacent elastic strands. A

5. An elastic braided strapping comprising a plurality of longitudinally extending elastic strands and a'plurality of at strips interbraided about said elastic strands and about themselves and turned at the selvages to change theirV direction while the strip remains in the same plane such that one face of each said strip is always facing the same surface of said strapping and said elastic strands remain substantially straight, each strip passing over one strand and under the next, and each said strip crossing another strip at a strand, one strip passing over said strand, the other passing under said strand.

6. The elastic braided strapping as claimed in claim 5 wherein each said strip has two dissimilar faces.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 446,707 Goodman Feb. 17, 1891 1,853,666 Crimmins Apr. 12, 1932. 2,707,318 ODonnell May 3, 1955 

